Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues
Medicare Beneficiaries: A Population At Risk – Findings from the Kaiser/Commonwealth 1997 Survey of Medicare BeneficiariesThis report by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund, based on the Kaiser/Commonwealth 1997 Survey of Medicare Beneficiaries, highlights the challenges facing Medicare beneficiaries and the importance of addressing the needs…
Health News Index November/December, 1998 The November/December 1998 edition of the Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard Health News Index includes questions about major health issues covered in the news, including questions about the Tobacco Settlement, World AIDS Day and Abortion Clinic Bombings. The survey is based on a national random sample of…
This report describes and analyzes key Medicare+Choice provisions in the Balanced Budget Act and the accompanying regulations related to consumer protections. It explains how the BBA makes significant improvements for beneficiaries in the areas of access, appeals, and quality. It also explores areas that could be strengthened to better serve…
A summary of findings from the Foundation’s survey of teens on HIV, and other relevant facts about how young people are being affected by HIV/AIDS.
Consumer Protection Issues in Medicare + ChoiceThis Report is available in PDF format.Return to topConsumer Protection Issues in Medicare + Choice
In 1978, the state of Michigan established a system to call on independent medical experts to help resolve disputes between health plans and patients about the medical necessity and appropriateness of care. Since then, twelve other states and the Medicare program have established similar kinds of external review programs. In…
External Review of Health Plan Decisions:An Overview of Key Program Features in the States and MedicareExternal Review of Health Plan Decisions:An Overview of Key Program Features in the States and MedicarePrepared for the Kaiser Family Foundation by:Karen Pollitz, M.P.P., Geraldine Dallek, M.P.H., and Nicole Tapay, J.D.Institute for Health Care Research…
An analysis of the external review process, the formal dispute resolution process established by state or federal agencies, independent of disputing parties, that has the capacity to evaluate and resolve at least those disputes involving medical issues. This paper identifies critical features of external review systems in thirteen states and…
A fact sheet summarizing data from a survey conducted between January and March of 1998 with 1,583 firms with 200 or more workers. The survey, which is conducted annually, focuses on the characteristics of the health benefit plans sponsored by employers.The supplemental questions discussed in this brief were developed jointly…
Managed Care Consumer Protections Offered by Medium and Large EmployersNovember 1998BackgroundDuring the past year, Congress and the states considered a number of proposals that would have provided additional protections to consumers in health insurance plans, particularly managed care plans. Among the key issues raised in these debates was how much…
